
As we all cling to the hope that there will be a full NFL Season in 2020 we prepare for our Redraft leagues with 2020 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings. With training camps underway now is an opportune time to dive into the 2020 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings. But before we do so, let’s get reacquainted with the tiered rankings logic.
Elite (Tier 1)
Fairly self-explanatory. These wide receivers have the ability to carry your fantasy football team(s) regardless of format.
Supers (Tier 2)
Like the ELITE WRs they can carry your team but have a lower floor and aren’t quite as consistent due to mitigating factors. (I.e. Inconsistent QBs, poor offensive line play)
Next Level Players (Tier 3)
This level of Wide Receiver can carry your fantasy football team a few times per season.
Promising (Tier 4)
You’ve seen flashes of the three previous tiers; but there will be a couple head-scratchers along the way.
Status Quo (Tier 5)
You as a fantasy owner know what you’re getting, albeit nothing special.
Complement (Tier 6)
This set of Wide Receivers have a fairly low fantasy floor for any number of reasons and hover around their weekly projections.
Wait & See (Tier 7)
It’s exactly what it sounds like… just want to see more before taking the plunge.
2020 Fantasy Football Redraft Wide Receiver Rankings | |||
Elite (Tier 1) | |||
1 | Michael Thomas | New Orleans Saints | No need to overthink this thing. Michael Thomas has finshed as the WR7 or better in each of his 1st four pro seasons inlcuding finishing as the top WR in fantasy football in 2019 by nearly a 100-point margin in PPR leagues. He's managed this without a single double-digit touhdown season to date. Chemistry, continuity and a QB/Playcaller combination that will force feed Thomas the "Usurper of Targets" makes him an easy choice as the first WR off the board in 2020 fantasy football leagues. |
2 | Tyreek Hill | Kansas City Chiefs | Cheetah!! Most don't seem to realize that Tyreek Hill has just recently developed into a true wide receiver. His route-running and overall feel for the position have grown by leaps and bounds (I.e. Working back to the QB). Remember, he had more rush attempts (101) than receptions (31) during his one season in the FBS. You could see him really start to put things together during Alex Smith's career year (2017). Hill led the Chiefs in receiving yards (1479) and touchdowns (12) during Mahomes 2018 MVP campaign; and it was Hill of course who was on the receiving end of "Wasp" like he was fielding a punt, when a championship hung in the balance. Hill missed a quarter of the 2019 season but still finished as a WR3 in PPR leagues and was a WR1 based on weekly scoring averages. I believe 2020 will be his best year yet and he has a shot to unseat Michael Thomas as the definitive WR1 in fantasy leagues across all formats. |
3 | Julio Jones | Atlanta Falcons | You're not going to get eye-popping TD numbers, but it doens't matter. Jones is so good, so consistent he's become un-interesting, "old news" and thus de-valued. Astute fantasy footballers will take advantage of that. |
4 | Davante Adams | Green Bay Packers | As I've stated before you're no longer going to get the fade stop TD grabs at the goal-line. The Packers offense has changed which I believe caps Adams' scoring upside. But he's going to soak up targets and do work after the catch as Aaron Rodgers' most trusted WR and one of the most talented in the NFL. |
5 | DeAndre Hopkins | Arizona Cardinals | There may be a little bit of an adjustment period to a new quarterback and offense early on during the season but once Kyler Murray and Nuk Hopkins get in sync, church out! |
Supers (Tier 2) | |||
6 | Kenny Golladay | Detroit Lions | I believe this is the year Golladay breaks thru regional fandom and fantasy football notoriety becoming a nation-wide, household name. Ten, Top 12 matchups thru the first 16 weeks should make certain of that. |
7 | Chris Godwin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | With a Top 2 Fantasy finish under his belt and a cupcake schedule in 2020 Godwin is a veritable lock for another Top 10 finish even if the Bucs aren't in shootouts on a weekly basis. |
8 | Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams | Contract year, secure the bag. 134/94/1161/10 was good for a Top 4 finish in PPR leagues last season. We adjust for a challenging schedule particularly during the fantasy playoffs (weeks 14 thru 16). And voila he's still a stud. |
9 | Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | The model of consistency. I'm thinking 75/1200/10, book it! |
10 | Allen Robinson | Chicago Bears | It isn't always pretty, but that doesn't matter in Fantasy. Robinson was a Top 10 WR last season despite Mitchell Trubisky's ineptitude. I think Nick Foles eventually becomes the starter, if not wins the job outright, which bodes well in Robinson's favor. Those concerned that a healthy defense in Chicago will reduce the volume Robinson depended on a season ago need not worry. I believe (w/Foles) Chicago's passing game will be improved and more efficient with Robinson being the main beneficiary. A favorable schedule certianly doesn't hurt either. |
11 | Adam Thielen | Minnesota Vikings | Injury, adjusting to a new offense, and Kirk Cousins' inconsistency presents an opportunity to acquire Top 10 WR upside at bargain rate. Everyone is excited about incoming rookie Justin Jefferson but a tumultuous offseason puts all rookies behind the 8-ball. The rapport Thielen and Cousins have will pay dividends in 2020, early and often. |
Next Level Players (Tier 3) | |||
12 | D.J. Moore | Carolina Panthers | I mentioned how much I like the Bridgewater/Joe Brady pairing in the QB rankings. Well, Moore stands to gain the most from that duo. Moore's breakout in 2019 despite abysmal quarterback play was truly impressive. Schematically, Carolina's passing game is bound to improve, coupled with Bridgewater's accuracy and Moore's continued development as a receiver; 2020 could be special for the third-year wideout. |
13 | Odell Beckham Jr. | Cleveland Browns | He's due. Baker Mayfield may have to learn a new offense but more importantly it appears he's headed in the right direction in terms of his maturation. The Browns have made substantial improvements to the offensive line from a pass protection standpoint on top of an already potent rushing attack. We should see a significant uptick in chunk/splash plays from the Beckham/Mayfield connection off of play-action in 2020. |
14 | Juju Smith -Schuster | Pittsburgh Steelers | A clean bill of health, a contract year and the return of Ben Roethlisberger to the lineup should be all the panacea needed for Juju Smith-Schuster to get back on track. |
15 | Amari Cooper | Dallas Cowboys | Dak loves Amari, like a pig loves mud. There will be peaks and vallyes, but Cooper has the ability to win you several weeks single-handedly. |
16 | Keenan Allen | Los Angeles Chargers | If Philip Rivers were still at the controls in Los Angeles Allen would be Top 10 -12 ranked minimum. But alas, Tyrod Taylor is the trigger man and while I think Taylor will provide sneaky good value as a fantasy QB given his dual threat skill-set I believe the Chargers will be more balanced offensively and improved defensively; no longer necessitating chucking the ball down the field an inordinate amount of times. Still, do not fade Keenan Allen, especially given his playoff matchups weeks 14 thru 16, which are the most favorable in the NFL. |
17 | Robert Woods | Los Angeles Rams | Soooo underrated. Over the past couple seasons as member of the Rams, Robert Woods has returned immense fantasy value in the middle rounds of drafts. His ADP is ticking upwards but he still represents tremendous value in both reality and fantasy football. One of my absolute favorite receivers to pivot to assuming I load up on running backs early. The Rams struggled to find balance last season and given their decision not to address the offensive line in a considerable manner I expect the passing volume to remain on the high side. |
Promising (Tier 4) | |||
18 | Tyler Lockett | Seattle Seahawks | I understand the excitement regarding D.K. Metchalf but outside perhaps the Drew Brees/Michael Thomas combination I'm not sure any quarterback/receiver duo is more in-sync than Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett. |
19 | A.J. Brown | Tennessee Titans | He's not going to average 20+ yards per reception again but that doesn't matter. Brown should far exceed his reception total of 52 in 2019 as the primary receiving target in Tennessee's run-first attack. He's got five top 10 matchups and a favorable fantasy schdeule overall to work with. The 2nd year wideout should approach WR1 numbers in 2020 but do not payup for anticipated production beyond a fantasy football WR2. |
20 | Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos | Sutton said something reckless about M.J. so I thought about dropping him in the rankings but that wouldn't be professional now would it? Those of you concerned about a host of new weapons being added to the Denver Broncos need focus on the fact that Denver should have better QB play (Flacco sucks) and defenses won't be able to bracket Sutton on virtually every snap. More man-to-man opportunities and Sutton will eat regardless of there being more mouths to feed. |
21 | Tyler Boyd | Cincinnati Bengals | Robert Woods lite. |
22 | Terry McLaurin | Washington Football Team | Oozing with talent. McLaurin finished just outside of WR2 status on just 93 targets in 2019. Expect that number to be closer to 120 this upcoming season, and with a more confident/comfortable Dwayne Haskins and clear cut role as the Washington Football Team's #1 passing game option I believe his performance in 2020 may net a Top 12 ranking in 2021. |
23 | D.J. Chark | Jacksonville Jaguars | I believe in Chark's ability, of that I have no doubt. He and Gardner Minshew were a revelation in 2019 but I have considerable doubts regarding new OC Jay Gruden's play-calling. He may devise better gameplans now that he isn't burdened with being a head coach but it remains to be seen. Pace of play and a stubborness in play-calling may depress Chark's upside in 2020. Still, the Jags are expected to be trailing in most contests and will need to put the ball up in the air. Chark should repeat as a WR2, just don't expect the leap to WR1 fantasy status. I expect Minshew to take a step back as well, which ultimately compromises Chark to some degree. |
24 | Calvin Ridley | Atlanta Falcons | The thing I appreciate most about Calvin Ridley is that he consistnetly beats man-to-man coverage and that's what he will continue to face lining up opposite of Julio Jones. Ridley's ceiling/floor is as stable as it gets. He plays 16 games he's likely a WR2 (2018 - 16 games played), he misses a few he's a WR3 (2019 - 13 games played). |
25 | Stefon Diggs | Buffalo Bills | The schedule isn't pretty. A pair of matchups against Stephon Gilmore, Byron Jones, Xavien Howard, and contests against the Chargers, 49ers and Steelers. But I believe in Diggs' talent and Josh Allen's willingness to push the football down the field. John Brown had a very nice 115/72/1060/6 line despite some uneven performances by the aforementioned Allen.I expect Diggs to have a comparable output in 2020. |
26 | D.K. Metcalf | Seattle Seahawks | Everyone knows that Metcalf is a specimen, test-tube baby and despite his "rawness" in terms of being a wide receiver his landing spot was ideal. The Seahawks focus on what he does well rather than ask him to be something he's not. And it just so happens that his skill-set pairs beautifully with trigger man Russell Wilson evidenced by his WR3 fantasy football performance in his rookie season. I don't expect a seismic improvement but Metcalf does have WR2 upside. |
27 | Jarvis Landry | Cleveland Browns | Landry got off to somewhat of a slow start but he started putting up a ton of crooked numbers in the 2nd half of the season, including the touchdown column. The new offense with Kevin Stefanski at the helm caps Landry's upside and it is unlikely that he follows up a WR1 campaign in 2019 with another in 2020. Even a WR2 finish may be a stretch but I wouldn't put it past him considering the chemistry he demonstrated with Baker Mayfield. That being said, I think he's a quality WR3/FLEX play on a weekly basis. |
28 | T.Y. HIlton | Indianapolis Colts | 2019 was a forgettable, injury plagued season for T.Y. Hilton. If he's healthy and Rivers protects the football, WR2 is a distinct possibility. |
29 | A.J. Green | Cincinnati Bengals | Green is being touted as perhaps the best value wide receiver in fantasy football this season and those that share in this thought process may be onto something. Green, like Hilton will outpace this ranking if he is in fact healthy. Despite Burrow being a rookie, he's an upgrade to Andy Dalton even though he hasn't played a single down in the NFL yet. Green's ranking has everything to do with the fact tha the's missed 29 games over the past four seasons. |
30 | Michael Gallup | Dallas Cowboys | Gallup broke out a season ago as he and Dak Prescott started to demonstrate some of the chemistry Prescott and Cooper seemingly had from the get-go. Now, having added CeeDee Lamb to the mix, conventional wisdom might suggest "fade' Gallup but the reality is that Gallup turned in a WR2 finish in 2019 on 113 targets AND roughly 170 targets were vacated with Randall Cobb and Jason Witten out of town. Not only are there plenty of targets to go round but Gallup has the rapport with Prescott and this has been a very unorthodox offseason making it more difficult on rookies to usurp opportunities from established veterans. Frankly, this is a conservative and potentialy misguided ranking. I'm a big fan. |
31 | Marvin Jones | Detroit Lions | After posting a WR1 (12th overall) fantasy season in 2017 health has been a concern for Jones during his last two campaigns having missed 10 contests over that two-year span. Still Jones managed to post WR3 numbers in 2019 despite losing trigger man Matthew Stafford halfway thru the season in addition to his own ailments. He is clearly the #2 now with Kenny Golladay having planted his flag as the alpha in the targets pecking order, but he is an excellent complement to Golladay and could push into the WR2 tier given the soft pass defense schedule the Lions will face over the course of the 2020 season. |
32 | DeVante Parker | Miami Dolphins | So here's where things get weird... Parker enjoyed the "classic" 5th year breakout propelled by the absence of young, up & comer Preston Williams from the Miami Dolphins' lineup. He's always had the talent; it remains to be seen if he can be consistent. He'll get his opportunity, again, to prove he is a reliable fantasy football asset. Clearly I'm hedging with this ranking considering that he finished as a WR1 in 2019. |
33 | Hollywood Brown | Baltimore Ravens | He's going to have to do a LOT with a little; but he's more than capable. |
34 | Julian Edelman | New England Patriots | Boring... but consistent. Don't ignore him on draft day. |
35 | Darius Slayton | New York Giants | I don't feel like we're talking about Slayton enough. I have questions regarding new OC Jason Garrett and his pass game concepts, but Slayton brings an element neither Golden Tate nor Sterling Shepard do in his ability to stress defenses over the top. Furthermore, Slayton's fantasy prodution while certainly enhanced with volume isn't entirely dependent on it because of his ability to get vertical and find pay dirt. |
36 | Henry Ruggs | Las Vegas Raiders | Full disclosure, I had Hunter Renfrow in this spot originally. I figured the chemistry he and Derek Carr demonstrated last season, on top a truncated offseason, and Renfrow's knack for getting opened would return sneaky fantasy football value in 2020, as he mans the slot. While, I'm still bullish on Renfrow in Dynasty Leagues, these of course are re-draft rankings and I had to move up the uber-explosive Henry Ruggs after the news broke that he would get the nod as the starting slot receiver; with Tyrell Williams and Bryan Edwards flanking Ruggs. If Ruggs is healthy, he's gonna be a problem. Everyone is is well aware of the speed but he has a complete skill-set and can make plays at every level of the field. More fantasy points are generated from the slot now than ever before in this modern age of football so I will take the plunge with Ruggs as a low-end WR3 option, with considerable upside. |
37 | Will Fuller | Houston Texans | I know what you're thinking but 16 games isn't happening. And on the off chance that it does, keep in mind that the insane rate of production the Deshaun Watson/Will Fuller combo has accounted for was opposite DeAndre Hopkins who demanded quite a bit of the opposition's attention. Fuller could be a league winner, but I'm not counting on it. |
38 | Jamison Crowder | New York Jets | Someone has to catch passes in New York besides Lev Bell and Chris Herndon. Don't misunderstand, I think Denzel Mims is incredilby gifted but he's already missing important reps during training camp with a hamstring injury. Breshad Perriman was a bit of a revelation in Tampa Bay last year but I'm not ready to place my faith in him just yet, particularly with Adam Gase as the playcaller. Crowder is the only wide reciever the Jets have I trust at the moment. |
39 | Mike Williams | Los Angeles Chargers | No chance he only catches two TDs again... Doesn't matter who is under-center. Cheap WR3 upside. |
40 | Jalen Reagor | Philadelphia Eagles | You can certainly make a compelling argument that Jalen Reagor should be the highest ranked rookie wide receiver in redraft formats. The talent and opportunity are there in a pass 1st offense. You add in the draft capital and... I may have ranked him too low. As talented as this incoming crop of wide receivers are and how quickly young wide receivers adapt to the NFL in this modern age, this offseason has been so unorthodox, I've commited to being somewhat cautious with the rooks. |
Status Quo (Tier 5) | |||
41 | Anthony Miller | Chicago Bears | Head coach Matt Nagy just won't let him be great! |
42 | Christian Kirk | Arizona Cardinals | So many intriguing wide receivers heading into the 2020 Fantasy Football season and Kirk is among that list. One might assume Kirk's fantasy upside would be depressed with the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins but I believe Hopkins' presence and the attention he demands from the opposition will serve to make Kirk better, a la WIll Fuller in Houston. The Cardinals' offense is a treasure trove of fantasy points and my ranking of Kirk might be too low. |
43 | Brandon Aiyuk | San Franciso 49ers | The 49ers' brass is high on Aiyuk and considering that Emmanual Sanders is no longer in town and Deebo Samuel may not be ready at the beginning of the season, Aiyuk has a chance to far, far exceed this ranking despite the run-first approach in San Fran. |
44 | Emmanuel Sanders | New Orleans Saints | I think this is a better reality acquisition than fantasy play. Don't get me wrong. I love Manny Sanders. He's got plenty in the tank and is exactly what this offense needs oppositie Michael Thomas to truly fire on all cylinders. However, the last time the Saints offense featured two wide receivers eclipsing the 100-target mark was back in 2016. Furthermore, a healthy Alvin Kamara is a virtual lock for 100 targets, Michael Thomas in all likelihood will lead the NFL in targets and Jared Cook could see his role in the passing game increase as well. Ultimately, I'm thinking Sanders' opportunities lands somewhere between that of Brandin Cooks/Lance Moore during their peaks and Devery Henderson/Robert Meachum of yester-year. |
45 | Allen Lazard | Green Bay Packers | Still scratching my head as to why the Packers insist on wasting their remaining year(s) with Aaron Rodgers by not stuffing the roster with proven weapons. Perhaps they really like what they have among the young pass catchers they have amassed over recent seasons. We've seen flashes from Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Kumerow but neither has 'ran' with their respective opportunity. The analytics community is still crossing their fingers with regard to Equanimeous St. Brown and there is a Reggie Begelton hive, but it's Allen Lazard that fantasy owners should be targeting. With Devin Funchess opting out for the season due to COVID-19, Lazard has a great opportunity to build on a promising 2019 campaign. |
46 | CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys | My top ranked wide receiver in an absolutely loaded 2020 draft class. Under normal circumstances Lamb would push for WR3 numbers out of the gate considering the 170 vacated targets in Dallas, previously mentioned. However, COVID-19 has rocked the entire world and the rookie WR's 2020 fantasy prospects aren't exempt. |
47 | Golden Tate | New York Giants | Finished just outside of the WR3 domain despite missing 5 contests and all of the deficencies within the Giants' organization, so either my ranking is entirely too low or there are just "that" many good wide receivers in the league heading into the 2020 Fantasy Football season. |
48 | Jerry Jeudy | Denver Broncos | It's obvious he has the goods and his advanced route-running will crush the rookie learning curve. However, this Broncos offense is young and there are some question marks along the offensive line; still it is a talented group and has the makings of a very explosive unit. Part of me wanted to rank him above Lamb because I think Jeudy will be higher in the targets pecking order for his respective team, but I have more confience in the Cowboys' offense as a whole (quarterback, offensive line) so I gave Lamb the nod. |
49 | Kenny Stills | Houston Texans | I've always been a fan of Kenny Stills (was an even bigger fan of Ryan Broyles... cest la vie). I believe Stills has the most to gain from the Hopkins trade I just don't trust BOB. |
50 | Preston Williams | Miami Dolphins | He was the man prior to his mid-season injury. Off-field concerns in college made him less of a household name, but dynasty owners knew of Preston Williams. Re-draft enthusiasts should take note, particularly with Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson opting out due to COVID-19. |
Complements (Tier 6) | |||
51 | Diontae Johnson | Pittsburgh Steelers | Soooo many wideouts with a legitimate chance of being difference-makers in your fantasy leagues this season. Go ahead and add Johnson to that list. |
52 | Brandin Cooks | Houston Texans | It seems like Brandin Cooks has been around forever considering how well-traveled he has been thoughout his career. But he turns just 27-years-old this season and has eclipsed the 1000-yard threshold in four of six seasons. If he's healthy (big IF considering his concussion history) and he gets the requisite targets (100+) he represents excellent fantasy value. However, I'm not counting on either happening and of course... I don't trust BOB. |
53 | Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings | His time will come, but you have to understand the nature of this offense. Snaps don't necessarily equate to targets for the WR2 in this run-first, outside zone scheme deployed in Minnesota these days. |
54 | Deebo Samuel | San Francisco 49ers | The foot injury clearly puts a dampener on Samuel's 2020 fantasy prospects. But he could be a difference-maker down the stretch. |
55 | Sammy Watkins | Kansas City Chiefs | Sammy Watkins is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. Yeah, I said it! Unfortunately, he cannot be relied upon in fantasy football. Since 2013, when Andy Reid took over as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, the WR2 in his offense has never finished better than WR50 over a full season. |
56 | Bryan Edwards | Las Vegas Raiders | I'm a believer but 2021 is when he truly arrives; still it's enough to push Hunter Renfrow (long tears) out of my Top 60. |
57 | John Brown | Buffalo Bills | Stefon Diggs and a brutal schedule has me concerned. |
Wait & See (Tier 7) | |||
58 | Sterling Shepard | New York Giants | Shepard rounds out a quality trio at wideout for the G-Men but don't count on him being a consistent fantasy asset. |
59 | N'Keal Harry | New England Patriots | I think he's going to turn some heads in Year 2 with Cam at the controls. He's just not going to do so on a consistent basis. |
60 | DeSean Jackson | Philadelphia Eagles | I'd be shocked if he stayed healthy. |
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